Here is a warm cheesy comfort food casserole without the calories! It’s made with a fat free vegan cheese sauce and packed with nutrients for your family. This meal was created for my preschooler because her favorite foods are rice, cauliflower, and cheese!

For this recipe you start by cooking your short grain brown rice. I cook ours in the instant pot. You can use any kind of rice you prefer but we love short grain brown because its fluffy and similar to white rice but it’s a whole grain with the bran intact. The rice takes about 40 minutes to cook. I like to prep the rice earlier in the day or batch cook it in advance. It’s okay if it’s cold since you will be heating it all together in the oven.

For the cheese sauce you will need to boil some veggies in a small pot. That takes about 10 minutes until tender. And then blend.

Then you bake all the yumminess together and the cheese gets all gooey and deliciously sticky!

2 Tbs tapioca starch (must be tapioca for the cheese to get sticky when baked)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rice: cook rice according to package. If using instant pot. Make 3 cups dry rice with 3 cups water. Pressure cook for 24 minutes (for short grain brown) and natural release (takes about another 20 minutes).

Cheese Sauce: boil quartered potatoes, chopped carrots, and quartered onion, and garlic for about 10 minutes until tender. With a slotted spoon transfer veggies to blender plus 2 cups of the cooking water. Add the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and blend.

Casserole: preheat oven to 425°F. layer the ingredients adding cooked rice, cauliflower florets, cheese sauce. Make sure you cover the entire casserole with all that cheesy goodness all over the top so it’s well coated. Then, cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check cauliflower tenderness at 45 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

They have no added fats and are made with simple whole plant ingredients. They are quick to whip up and have on hand as a nice period to the end of your healthy eating day.

Our toddler loves them too. Hey back off of mommy’s treat, hee hee.

And hey! These little drops are good for you too!

Benefits of Raw Organic Cacao

40 Times the Antioxidants of Blueberries.

Highest Plant-Based Source of Iron.

Full of Magnesium for a Healthy Heart & Brain.

More Calcium Than Cow’s Milk.

Diet Dark Chocolate Spelt Drops

Makes: 14

Cooking Time: less than 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Whole Grain Spelt Flour***

1/4 cup Cacao Powder (unsweetened)

1 cup Applesauce (unsweetened)

2 Tbs Raw Coconut Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips

1 tsp Baking Powder

***for gluten free sub the spelt flour for 1 cup oat flour.
Notes: I like to use the individual 4oz container apple sauces. For the chocolate chips I like Enjoy Life brand dark chocolate.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl: Combine the flour, cacao, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Mix. Then add the apple sauce, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir but don’t over process. Sprinkle in the dark chocolate chips. (If the batter is too dry you can add a Tbs unsweetened plant milk)

Kids loves this meal. (You can add shredded nut cheese to melt on top if they prefer).

The sauce is made from beans, artichoke, and coconut milk. This combination makes for the perfect creamy mock tuna casserole! My husband grew up eating this Midwestern classic and he gives this Vegan version two thumbs up!

Easy Low-Fat Creamy Pasta Bake (whole food plant based)

Serving: 13×9 casserole

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Low Fat Creamy Sauce: 36 ounces

14oz can Artichoke Hearts (drained)

15.5oz can White Beans (drained and rinsed)

13.5oz can Light Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

2 Tbs Lemon Juice

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Sea Salt

Kelp Powder (to taste for that sea taste)

Pasta Bake:

16oz Whole Grain Pasta (we use corn/quinoa blend shells)

15oz can Sweet Green Peas (drained)

Salt and Pepper on top

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil noodles aldente according to package, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Preheat oven 375°F

In the blender, add all the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.

In a 13×9 deep casserole dish, add the drained cooked pasta and the drained peas.

Pour the sauce evenly covering all the noodles.

Top the dish with Salt and pepper. (Top with vegan cheese if desired)

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil or a glass lid.

Bake covered 20 minutes until bubbly, uncover and broil to brown the top 2 minutes or so.

I make these for my one year old as a healthy snack, but my hubby kept eating them. Who am I kidding, I ate three in a row! Our daughter loves them and keeps signing “more, eat” whenever I make them for her.

Okay so at first glance this may seem intimidating. Yes it has a lot of steps, but I assure you they are not complicated. This is a soup to impress, all made from scratch. With a depth of flavor any restaurant would be honored to serve. Your guests, or your family will be delighted, or hell, just make it for yourself, you deserve a nice meal!

STEP 1 (ignore the glazed carrots, that was just the chef’s snack, ha!)

*if you aren’t using a high speed blender, soak the cashews overnight in water in a dish on your counter until they are soft and swollen, or boil them on your stove for 40 minutes. Drain.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: (can be done earlier in the week or that day and refrigerated in a container) Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast the bell pepper whole for about 30-40 minutes, flipping half way, until it’s blackened (see pic). Let cool or rinse under cold water, peel the skin off with your hand (should come right off). Pull the stem out. Set roasted pepper aside.

Step 2: Score the Roma tomatoes by lightly cutting just the skin down both sides. Bring a pot of water to boil. Carefully scoop in the tomatoes with a slotted spoon. Boil for 6 minutes until the skin is falling off (see pic). Spoon out the tomatoes and run them under cold water. Let cool. Peel off the skins (should slide right off). Cut the stems off.

Step 3: In a large skillet on medium -high heat, dry sautee the roughly diced onion to carmelize without oil. Resist the urge to fuss with it and allow the onion to brown before flipping it around the pan. Add the boiled and skinned tomatoes. And smash and chop them up with your spoon. Add the balsamic, coconut aminos, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Let it all cook down for about 15 minutes. First on medium high, then lower to simmer and meld all the flavors.

Step 5: Heat in a pot (use the same pot as the one you boiled the tomatoes in) on medium low, stirring and careful not to burn the bottom. Serve with vegan grilled cheese sandwiches or yummy warm crusty bread. Enjoy!

I know my weegan loves tofu scramble and she loves pizza. So why not put them together!

Perfect for Holidays such as Easter, Christmas Morning, or Noon Years Eve!

In this recipe I used packaged (as clean as possible ingredients list) vegan cheese, bacon, tofu, and premade dough (pics of products included). For those interested, at the bottom I’ve provided links to homemade bacon, cheese, gluten free or whole grain dough. You can also make cauliflower scramble if you need it to be soy free. This is not an oil free recipe but it’s easily adaptable to be.

Get your family involved in the fun of making this recipe and get creative on your veggies or keep it plain for the selective Weegans in your life.

Cooking Reference Pics:

Baked:

Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Pizza (vegan)

Makes: 2 tray pizzas

Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes (depending on your dough and if your using a pizza stone)

INGREDIENTS:

2 Pizza Doughs

Extra Flour to roll it out

Sauce

2 Tbs Vegan Butter (plus more to grease the pan if needed)

2 tsp Minced Garlic

1 tsp Garlic Powder

Toppings

14 ounces Vegan Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or mixed)

5.5 ounce package Vegan Bacon

Add any veggies you like (suggest ones you would use in a scramble/omelet like mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, onion, etc)

Vegan Eggs

2 14 ounce Extra Firm Tofu

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Turmeric (color)

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tbs Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven 425°F (higher temp may burn the vegan bacon)

Dough: Put the dough out to reach room temp about 1 hour before. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and work/knead the dough some. Grease the trays to prevent sticking. Stretch out the dough evenly across the tray.

]]>http://bellavirtue.com/eat/bacon-and-eggs-breakfast-pizza-vegan/feed/0Plant-Based Cheesy Eggs In 3 Minuteshttp://bellavirtue.com/eat/plant-based-cheesy-eggs-in-3-minutes/
http://bellavirtue.com/eat/plant-based-cheesy-eggs-in-3-minutes/#respondSat, 30 Dec 2017 22:01:39 +0000http://bellavirtue.com/eat/?p=1752You and your family don’t have to miss out on any of your favorite classic breakfasts because you are vegan now.

I give you the best damn plant-based cheesy eggs in 3 minutes!

A quick and easy breakfast perfect for a busy school morning and CHOLESTEROL FREE!

This is a labor intensive meal made with love. But not to worry, all the components can be made separately and ahead of time, kept covered and refrigerated, then assembled. You can also assemble a day early and refrigerate the lasagna covered overnight. Just add 10 minutes to the baking time.

*acceptable but not as wholesome whole food plant based store bought substitutes are: parmela creamery cashew aged nut cheese mozzarella shreds, and if you have to then you can substitute the tahini white bean spread with store bought hummus but I can’t vouch for the final flavor results because every brand of hummus will be different (I would suggest Cedar’s organic garlic hommus, if you must).

Cooking Reference Photos:

AlfredoTahini White BeanTahini White BeanTahini White Bean

ParmeseanLasagna NoodlesLasagna LayersMiddle LayerMoxarellaMoxarella

Vegan White Lasagna (soy free, gluten free, oil free)

Serving: 1 very rich, large 5 layered lasagna in a deep 13×9 casserole dish or roasting pan. With a side of marinara gravy.

Cooking Time: 85 minutes (including 10 minute rest)

INGREDIENTS:

Tahini White Bean Spread (makes 12 ounces)

3 cups Cooked Cannellini Beans _2 cans drained and rinsed)

2 Tbs Tahini

1.5 Tbs Lemon Juice

2 Tbs Unsweetened Plant Milk

2 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 Tbs Garlic Powder

1 handful fresh italian parsley

1/4 tsp Black or White Pepper

Alfredo (makes 5 cups)

1 small head Cauliflower (3 cups)

1/2 cup raw Cashews

3 cups unsweetened Plant Milk (not soy)

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

2 Tbs Arrowroot Powder (or cornstarch. NOT tapioca!)

4 small Garlic Cloves

1 Tbs Sea Salt (will taste salty but will be deluted with the noodles)

Lasagna

2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach

16 ounce Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles (you don’t need to pre-boil if you use this kind). You can also use penne noodles and make this a pasta bake!

Tahini White Bean: in a food processor lightly blend all the ingredients keeping it somewhat chunky being mindful not to over process and turn it into paste (see reference photo).

Alfredo: Wash and Chop cauliflower (include the stem but remove the green leaves) or use frozen. Boil in a pot with cashews for 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. (if you don’t have a high-speed blender you may need to soak your cashews overnight or boil for 30 minutes seperatly until soft and swollen). Drain and rinse with cold water. Add all ingredients to blender until smooth and creamy.

Lasagna: Preheat oven 400°F.

In a casserole dish, Add a thin layer of alfredo.

Then the lasagna noodles side by side (see photo). You may need to boil your noodles until aldente and drain if you aren’t using brown rice noodles or no boil noodles. You will have 5 layers of noodles total.

Cover the noodles well with alfredo.

Scoop 1/3rd the tahini white bean spread and evenly layer or plop.

Add a layer of baby spinach using 1/3rd.

Repeat steps 6 – 10 two more times.

Add a final layer of noodles.

Cover well with alfredo making sure you don’t have any dry noodles exposed or they will be crunchy.

Cover with foil tightly around the edges and bake for one hour. While it’s baking make the vegan mozzarella.

Moxarella: (see link for instructions on how to make the cheese). After the lasagna baked for one hour, uncover and scoop spoonfuls of mozzerella on top. Bake another 10 minutes uncovered and then broil for 3 minutes until lightly browned, Remove from oven and let set/rest for 10 minutes, Garnish with fresh or dried parsley.

Marinara: Make the marinara ahead of time or use jarred and leave to simmer in a lidded pot on the stove. Serve in a side dish for guests.

Parmesean: Make ahead or while the lasagna is baking or use store bought. Serve in a side dish for guests.

*Notes: Start to boil the cauliflower and cashews first while you make the Bean Spread, make the alfredo next.

You may need to soak the cashews overnight for this recipe if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Roll mixture into meatball-sized balls (smaller is better to cook through with the best texture). On Parchment lined baking sheet, spread out all the meatballs. (If it’s too sticky put mixture in fridge for 10 minutes or so, and you can also put some flour on your hands while you roll.)